Be resolute about your resolutions

There is an old notion that beginnings are a magical time.

At the cusp of the year, when the limits of the old year are gone but the limits of the new year are not yet solid, there are possibilities perhaps not otherwise available, says Leonard George of the psychology department at Vancouver's Capilano College.

And so we make New Year's resolutions. We promise to lose weight, write a book, run a marathon, quit smoking, ditch coffee, get into a relationship, get out of a relationship, rescue a relationship, play with the kids more, etc., etc.

New Year's resolutions are so ubiquitous, the U.S. federal government actually has popular resolutions listed on its website usa.gov along with a whole series of links providing practical tips for success.

Under "Save Money," for instance, are tips for everything from saving on funeral expenses to reducing phone bills.

But New Year's resolutions are much more than trite or utterly pragmatic promises made on an arbitrary day.

Making New Year's resolutions tie us to a larger, more encompassing view of the universe.

We make resolutions because we can see into our futures, know our lives are finite, and therefore, think a great deal about how to live life well, says John Russell, philosophy department chairman at Langara College in Vancouver.

"We assume we have free will and can alter our destinies by our choices," Russell says. Making a New Year's resolution reflects "an optimism about our own ability to affect our destiny."

At the same time, New Year's resolutions fulfil a basic human need to redefine ourselves from time to time, and to connect with sources of meaning, George says.

"We don't literally believe the entire universe dances to a 365-day rhythm anymore," George says, "but it is still natural for us to situate our own cycles within the big one. Aligning our new beginnings with the cosmic new beginning (at New Year) is one way to link our small lives with the big picture."

But how much ability do we really have to change our behaviour and character? After all, popular wisdom seems to indicate that most New Year's resolutions will fail.

Philosophers have been questioning the existence of meaningful free will for centuries. For much of the last century, the predominant view, known as soft determinism, has been that although much is determined by things such as genetics and environment, our choices are still made by ourselves.

Over the past 20 years, the view that we can act independently of causal factors, or libertarianism, has been gaining ground, Russell says. Making choices based on reasons is different from acting in a simply deterministic way.

The frequent failure of New Year's resolutions is simply a reflection of the difficult challenges we set ourselves, he suggested.

"People are making resolutions about things that are difficult for them to do, so it's not surprising that many would fail," Russell says.

"Often these resolutions require us to engage in activities that are not our preferred way of behaving and there are genuine impediments to engaging in them."

A cavalier approach to New Year's resolutions is a lost opportunity to capitalize on a deep, instinctual rhythm that all human beings have, George says.

"If the gesture is shallow, then the lack of follow through will be similarly shallow. It's presented to us once a year, so why not? Why not have company while we're doing this?"

Colorful Looks at Emmy Awards

Stars Go for Glamorous, Colorful Looks at Emmy Awards
Celebrities did their best to keep their cool on a sweltering red carpet at Sunday night's Emmy Awards by wearing a variety of sorbet colors and stars such as Heidi Klum, America Ferrera, Debra Messing, Sandra Oh and Ellen Pompeo showed a bit of skin in strapless dresses.

Kate Walsh, Jennifer Morrison, Rebecca Romijn and Katherine Heigl channeled screen sirens of yesteryear with their retro looks.

Heigl was in a white, off-the-shoulder Zac Posen gown that was punched up with red lips -- also seen on Klum and Christina Aguilera.

"Red is a really hot color for fall," said Monika Blunder, the Chanel makeup artist who worked with Heigl. "She had an old Hollywood feel with a modern twist."

Walsh's red satin dress was by Pamela Dennis, who also designed Michelle Pfieffer's fitted knee-length black dress with sequins on the front.

Morrison wore a beaded gown by Elie Saab. "We had to take it apart to fit me, but look at it now. It has a total classical feel to it," she said. Romijn's vintage Guy Laroche gown was decorated with flapper fringe. She wore her hair in a soft, wavy updo that showed off her diamond, ruby and white-enamel earrings by Neil Lane.

Eva Longoria literally sparkled in a gold cocktail dress with an open back by Kaufman Franco. "He designed my wedding dress and I just thought this was perfect," she said, particularly thankful for the low-cut back because of the heat.

Teri Hatcher wore a blush-colored silk chiffon gown with a crystal beaded bodice by Badgley Mischka Couture. She stars in the label's current ad campaign.

Felicity Huffman's asymmetrical draped gown by David Meister in a bright magenta color balanced sexy and elegant. She joked on E!'s preshow that she had to sew it to her skin. Marcia Cross wore a silver diamante pleated gown by Georges Chakra that was accessorized with a Lorraine Schwartz snake bracelet and triple-teardrop earrings.

Dangling earrings were a major trend of the night, with Patricia Heaton pairing oversized gold earrings with her sparkling gold gown.

Sally Field's strapless Valentino gown was simple except for its bright magenta color. She wore dangling diamond earrings by Cathy Waterman, but unlike most of the stars she won't be returning them -- she owns them.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus wore one of the top colors for this fall -- purple. Her dress was a deep jewel color by Narciso Rodriguez with a scoop neck and pintucks on the bust. Minnie Driver's draped chartreuse gown was by Donna Karan, and Vanessa Williams' seafoam green gown with feather embellishment was by Kevan Hall.

Ferrera's strapless gown with a jeweled waist was electric blue.

Joely Fisher wore a lemon yellow, plunging V-neck gown with beaded mesh insets by Pamella Roland, and Hayden Panettiere's empire-waist, blush-colored gown was by Marc Bouwer.

There always are actresses who go with classic black -- a safe choice that can also prove stunning: Mariska Hargitay wore a Zac Posen with architectural lines, Rachel Griffiths was in a strapless Chanel and Kyra Sedgwick wore a two-piece outfit by Oscar de la Renta with a subtle touch of feathers at the peplum and on the tiers of the skirt.

Jaime Pressly's beaded scoop-neck gown by St. John Couture had a '40s feel. She chose it, she said, because it was a bit unusual. "I knew nobody would be wearing this," she said.

Oh's black dress by Bottega Veneta had a touch of white tulle on top.

Pompeo added a gold tassel necklace and lots of bracelets by Fred Leighton to her navy dress by Michael Kors, whom she joked was her boyfriend because she so often wears his designs to big events. Her hair was big in a 1950s style.

Wanda Sykes was in a black Gucci pantsuit. She said she looked good in Gucci suits. "I just love the way it feels," she said of her outfit. "Except for right now, it's hot."

Glenn Close selected a Giorgio Armani midnight navy silk halter gown with satin lapel detailing, front slit and delicate train, and Tina Fey wore a Carolina Herrera navy chiffon gown with a polka-dot underlay.

Elizabeth Perkins' Carolina Herrera sleeveless white dress with bits of black and yellow was from the designer's resort collection. Perkins, who also wore champagne-colored cushion-cut diamond earrings on a French wire set by Chopard, said the dress was right for the night because it was light. "It's not necessarily couture but it's comfortable."

There also was a red-dress camp that included Mary Louise Parker, who wore a Marquesa diamond bracelet totaling almost 30 carats from Harry Winston, and Ali Larter, who called her strapless goddess gown by Reem Acra "a little sliver of nothing."

Klum wore a wine-colored gown with an up-to-there slit by Christian Dior Couture. She wore diamond jewelry from her own collection.

And veteran star Leslie Caron wore a gown she designed herself with fabric she bought in India.

And the Emmy Award Goes to... Color!
The festivities began outside the 59th Annual Emmy Awards Sunday night with the photographers, stylist and critics checking out who was wearing who and what styles were in… A hot trend this year was vibrant color. Vivid hues of Fuscia, Electric-Blue, Deep Navy, Canary Yellow, Royal Purple, Crimson.





personally thought Marica Cross looked amazing. The turquoise accent color she wore in her earrings and bracelet really worked well with the rest of her natural palette. Her red hair looked gorgeous with her skin tone and the light colored dress worked well to let the natural elements shine. No spray tans or glitzy jewels needed here… just a beautiful woman well accented by light and natural colors.

EXCLUSIVE: WHAT IS HEAVEN LIKE?

What is heaven like? The Bible gives us some insights in various passages, especially in the book of Revelation, but even that, is looking through a glass darkly. The world we live in now is an abberation, completly designed for decay and death. Everything and everyone around us is in some state of deterioration. If you truly understood what Heaven is like, and what it would be like to be there, you would change all your negative lifestyle habits and attitudes. Think of the happiest moment you've ever experienced, think of the best you've ever felt, think of the most incredible beautiful sight you've ever seen, magnify it billions of times, and understand there is no end to this joy, no aging, no pain, no disease, no lonliness, no fear, no doubt, no discomfort, no death, and you only scratch the surface of what it's like in the Paradise of God. Majesty beyond conception, brightness and light of such beauty, it's beyond description.
Let's imagine we're standing on a vast plain, with the heavenly city towering above us in resplendent beauty. Our eyes behold a brilliant, shining city, with light streaming through its jasper walls and pearly gates, and a full spectrum of color gleaming from its jeweled foundation. As we gaze in awe on the city, the first thing to attract our attention is its massive jasper wall. The apostle John described it as follows: "The light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. We know that these semi-precious stones are translucent in composition, so that light is able to pass through them. From these jasper walls, therefore, radiate brilliant rays of dazzling color for all to see. The glory of the city will thus be visible from afar, and even the dwellers in the area outside the walls will share in its brightness.

Although the wall around the city is real, it is also symbolic. The purpose of the wall is not to preserve the city against invaders, for God will have no enemies in the new earth. Being 216 feet high, it impressively signifies that no one will enter the city apart from God's grace. The wall is too high to be scaled by human effort, and the only portals are the 12 guarded gates. The requirement for admittance is salvation, and no one who has rejected God's plan will be able to go in. Salvation is the gift of God's grace to those who humbly acknowledge their need of forgiveness and who receive Jesus Christ as Savior.

The next thing to catch our vision as we look at the city is its jeweled foundation. Many Bible students believe that these jewels reflect all the colors of the rainbow, though we do not know the precise characteristics of each stone. Beginning at ground level, these were probably the colors seen by the apostle: the jasper stone may have been a light green or yellow; the sapphire, a sky-blue or azure; the chalcedony, containing a combination of colors, was mostly green and blue; the emerald, bright green; the sardonyx, red and white; the sardius, reddish in color; chrysolite, golden yellow; beryl, sea-green; topaz, yellow-green and transparent; chrysoprasus, golden-green; jacinth, violet; and amethyst, either rose-red or purple. The radiating light of the city, shining out through the jasper wall and blazing through the open gates, reflects from these precious stones in splendrous color.



And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass (Rev. 21:12,21). Some Bible scholars believe that these gates of pearl suggest salvation by grace. Even as a wound to an oyster results in the formation of a valuable pearl, the gates of heaven can be entered only because the Lord Jesus was "wounded for our transgressions" (Is. 53:5). Although men wickedly rejected Him and crucified Him, it was through this death that salvation was made possible. Now, all who believe on Him can look forward to entering the pearly gates of heaven. Jesus Himself said, "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved" (John 10:9).

The gates are open at all times and in every direction, for salvation is still offered freely to everyone. The angels who keep watch at the open gates, therefore, are a wonderful contrast to the cherubim who guarded the closed gate of Eden after Adam and Eve sinned. These angels keep the way of access open, while the cherubim kept the Garden closed to fallen humanity. One of the characteristics of the heavenly city is the abundance of gold. A precious commodity throughout man's history, gold has been used as an overlay in works of art and as a standard of value, and has been the means of a great amount of both good and evil in society.

It served the purposes of God in the tabernacle and temple, for much gold was in evidence there; it was also used by idolaters in the making of images. On earth, men have fought, suffered, and died for it. But in the New Jerusalem, gold will be so plentiful that it will be used for cobblestones and building blocks. And it will be like glass, possessing transparent qualities, so that the glorious light of the holy city will both shine through it and be reflected by it. Here is John's description: The city was pure gold, like clear glass. . . . and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass (Rev. 21:18,21). Traditionally, gold has symbolized purity. In the wedding band, for example, the circle speaks of endlessness and the gold stands for purity. The golden street of the New Jerusalem, therefore, might well suggest the pure and holy walk of God's redeemed in eternal paradise. And the brightness of the city, reflecting from the gold that abounds everywhere, will have its uncorrupted counterpart within the heart of every citizen of Heaven. Purity pervades the eternal Paradise of God.



A river clear as crystal will flow through the New Jerusalem. The apostle John declared: And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Rev. 22:1). Just as in Eden there was a river to water the garden, so also in the New Jerusalem there will be a river of life. It will begin at the throne of God, the very uppermost part of the city, and it will course downward through the entire area. In the New Jerusalem, a river of crystal will flow forever, reminding us for all eternity that God has graciously and abundantly provided for our every spiritual need. Remember, life in eternity will not be a nebulous existence in some nameless place. No indeed! We will lead rich and full lives in glorified bodies. We'll dwell on a renewed earth in a real city of gold, and our lives will be filled with significance and meaning as we give praise to our Redeemer and gladly do His bidding.

This crystal river flowing through our eternal home will be of sparkling beauty and of clarity beyond the purest water man has ever seen. Think of it! All who believe in Christ will walk the banks of this glorious crystal river. What a joy will then be ours! It's difficult to envision just how the trees, the crystal river, and the street of gold will be related. Some Bible teachers feel that a river will flow through the middle of a broad street, and that alongside the river on each bank will be the trees. Others believe that a grove of trees is centered between the avenue of gold on one side and the river on the other. Regardless of which view you may choose, it's evident that those who conceive of Heaven as a place where the redeemed will do nothing but sit on golden stairs playing harps are grossly mistaken. Life in heaven will be filled with beauty and variety.

We've been concerned with what the Bible tells us about our eternal home. We have seen its beauty from without: its gleaming jasper walls, its jeweled foundations, and its gates of pearl. We have also seen its glory within as we have envisioned the street of gold, the crystal river, and the tree of life. This glimpse of our eternal home should bring two responses to the heart of the true believer in Christ. First, there should be a renewed determination to place top priority on the spiritual and eternal rather than on the physical and temporal. Therefore, in anticipation of the glory and beauty of our eternal home, begin right now to "lay up . . . treasures in heaven" (Matt. 6:20) by putting God first, and by a constant willingness to serve Him. The thought of Heaven should cheer us when we become discontented with life and discouraged about the future. No matter how bad things may be going or how difficult the struggles, the prospect of that wonderful abode awaiting us should be a source of encouragement and hope.

We will know a purity, bliss, and love such as could never be experienced here. Writing in Revelation 21 and 22, the apostle John recorded his vision of an immense city of shimmering beauty, descending slowly from heaven to become the capital city of our eternal home. It will be radiant with the light of God's glory shining through its jasper walls, its jeweled foundation, and its pearly gates. And this city, the New Jerusalem, will be the eternal abode of all who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. All who have been saved will walk the street of gold in transformed, eternal, glorified bodies. We'll enjoy heaven's beautiful crystal river and have ready access to its tree of life. We'll be eternally delivered from every evil and burden that plagues our world today. And we'll finally have become what God intended us to be.




In that perfect society we'll realize our full spiritual potential as individuals. Having entered an eternal fellowship with God, we'll be engaged in an endless variety of meaningful activities. We'll join with the saints of all the ages in a spirit of communion, fellowship, and love never ending. We'll see that the imperfections of this life will be missing and that positive blessings will be there in abundance. All you have to do is stop clinging through sentimentality and emotion, to the miserable, hopeless, death centered way of life the world has decieved you into living, and cut your emotional bondage to it, become a new person inside and out, and find a destiny of never ending hope.